I’ve been handed a lot of pool gadgets in my career and most of them end up with the bits of chalk and wads of paper at the bottom of my cue case. If they’re lucky, they spend a little time there before they are unceremoniously dumped in the garbage, but every now and then I come across something that rocks my pool world. Most are probably available on Pooldawg.com, some are regular items that require modification and some I’ve just run across by dumb luck. These are the things that I can’t live without.

  1. Kamui Tip Scuffer:It’s rectangular with two pieces that are held together with magnets. There are no dime or nickel profiles, no burnisher, no mushroom remover, no 12-in-one capability…it’s just a flat piece of rough metal. And it’s truly fabulous.
  2. Milk Dud Tips: Rumor has it that this is the one that Efren prefers because they don’t mushroom and they hold chalk well. It’s also the one that I prefer for a number of reasons, well, really just one. I’m too lazy to care for a layered tip, and I don’t feel like dealing with a 12-in-one tip tool. The recipe is, one Elkmaster Tip soaked in heavy cream for 24 hours, then pressedin a vice as tight as possible for another 24 hours.
  3. The London Bridge: When I was first handed this contraption I said a polite thank you and stuffed it into the bottom of my case. One day, maybe a year later, I dug it out and discovered that it is, hands down, the best portable bridge ever. Whenever I need to shoot over a ball, this is the one that gets it done.
  4. Cue Silk: Perfect for those times when everything is feeling sticky, and you just can’t bring yourself to wear a glove. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
  5. The Magic Rack: Oh, yes. It is magic. Every ball freezes to every other ball creating a perfect rack every single time. One caveat: It also makes 9 ball as easy as Sunday morning.
  6. Pro Cup Balls: I do love me some pro cups. The cue ball with the measles lets the world see how you spin your rock, so you’d better be sure you’re doing it right.